Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-02-19
ASKED HER BYWlRE.

luB y cOnNerSatlOn over q miu-nlSnt lunCn,
"a very slight mistake on the part Of q tele- |
grspher Is likely to cause great deal Of mis-
chief. We get hold Of q great many secreta,
but wo never tell them, and our work is
purely mechanical that we soon forget all
about them. Considering the great number
OF messages which we handle every day, 1t is
surprising that so few blunders are made"
"How did you happen to enter the bust.
ness ~ asked a reporter.
short silence ensued, showing unwilling.
ness to answer the question.
ait Is long story" said the operator.
=" have never told it before j never think
OF my fret experience as telegraph operator
without feeling Of horror at the thought OF
what might have happened ii-but / won't
anticipate, and will tell the story as /. hap.
pened:
alt was six years ago l was then clerk
IN country town in Wisconsin, callod Bcl-
ton. The pace was without railroad or tele-
graphic connection with the outside world
until an enterprising lawyer in aneighboring
city built a private telegraph line connecting
Bolton with several OF the towns around it
The line was not built a. a money. .making
scheme, but soon received q tair share Of
local and through business Its completion
to Bolton was hailed by the citizens with a
great deal Of enthusiasm. l was selected As
the operator, as the store In which clerked
W2s tuc Iupst pupllc lOSduCn IN Tue HlaCe,
and, in anticipation of the completion OF the
line / had previously spent some time in
learning the alphabet. In q short time the
line was put In running order. A small book
OF instructions came with the instrument
and for q while l would practice several
hours every night after the store had closed.
There were several beginners on the line
with whom l soon struck q wire acquaint.
ance. l was duh and somewhat aw ward at
frst however, and voted q nuisance by the
mo rnp ptnnx h-1,,
young lady clerk in q store at Cssetown,
some distance down the line, had any
patience with me- She willingly practiced
with me every evening, and al the winter
wore along rapidly grew proficient at the
use OF the key. Va, as / always called my
instructor, WAS q lively talker, and We had
long talks over the wire, often continuing
our conversation until late at night We
had never seen each other, yet we soon be-
came very well acquainted and after few
months began to hold conversations de.
cidedly lover-like in their character, tele-
graphing 50 fast that none OF the other opera-
tors on the line could read what We said.
Her call was Va and mine was Di, but II
l was unnecessary for us TO use our calls, so
! accustomed did we become to each other 3
! touch on the telegrsphic key. Those were
pleasant days, can assure you, for at least
one clerk in country store.
"One night Va told me that she had been
/ offered the position as operator on new rail
road that was in course Of construction
through Casetown. The thought OF her quit
ting had never entered my head before, and
l knew by the shock her information gave
! me that i was head over heels in love with
/ her. 1t made me very nervous to think OF
| her laughing and joking with other operators
| on another line A few days later resolved
| to tell her all by telegraph. To be sure that
none OF the others were listening At their in
struments called each Office on the line, bu,
received no answer. ltheD called Va, and she
| answered Immediately. In slow and care
| fully worded language, poured out my i'm.
| petuous longing that she would not go away,
and told her that life would not be worth
living II could not talk to her. At first she
| laughed at me, but as l grew serious her
| answers came slower and were more care.
fully worded. In the midst Of an impassion
l ate declaration OF love the circuit was opene d
and clearly and distinctly over the wire came
| the words:
"'Give us rest Gully. That's abou,
| enough of that for to night"
| The clerk in the Denton postoftics who
had an instrument in his charge, had been
listening to all our talk, and leaving his key
open, went home for the night You may
believe l felt angry at him, and II he had
| been in reach one or the other OF us would
| have received sound thrashing. never
touch telegraphic key on that line Moth
| ing could induce me go near it. In q few
| days learned that my Va had gone to 9
distant town, l didn't hear where, and ]
| heard nothing from her
"a few months went by and found me ir
| Dakota, filling railroad telegraph position
on the Northern Pacific. i was SO sober and
| melancholy that my associates dubbed me
'the parson,' and l fully merited the sobri
quet. l never forgot the little telegraph girl
| but had written several times to her old home
| IN the hope OF getting some word from her
| My letters were all returned by the pos.
| master with the words in red ink on one cor
ner, Address unknown.
| 81 saved money, but after few years my
| health gave wav, and my physician directed
| me TO go to Florida. Another year and
had apparently recovered. The doctor saId
| was alI right He gave my malady somt
| long Latin name, but no one besides mysel
| knew that my Cnsatistisd longing was tn.
| main cause OF my lack Of health. / started
| to return TO my northern home. At Jeffer
| son Junction l had TO wait couple Of hour.
for the train which was to take me to Bolton
| Being somewhat tired from my long ride,
| laid down on cot in the waiting room, and
dozed. Suddenly l seemed to DO back In
my old place as clerk in the Bolton store.
and soap, and the big csddy Of tea which al
ways formed part OF the interior of the store
Most familiar OF all was the sound OF the tel
egraph instrument in the well-remem bered
tone which could be that Of no one in the
world except Va l started up quickly, and
was about to jump over the counter to ans wer
that writing, when i recollec.ed that was In
an ordinary railroad office, and that l must
Do mistaken, Bolton was hundreds Of miles
away, and N-a-she might be dead for all !
knew. l sat down sgain, but still heard
Va talking. She was sending q railroad train
order. Could 1t be she? 1 got up and
looked inside the window, expecting to see a
male operator. Great Scott! You can imsg-
Inc my surprise when my eyes rested upon
handsome young lady, who knew at once
must be Va 1 was positive OF it Would
she know me? What would her sentiment
be toward me? Thinking to try her wrote
otf dispatch to send to my folks at home
The instant her eyes caught the signature she
blushed and tried to speak, but only the
words, Are-you-' escaped her. From the
pleased expression in her dark eyes l knew
the chance that had brought US together was
not An unwelcome one.
"Oh, D.i Is it really you? Where have
you been all the time ?" she asked when
had satisfied her OF my identity.
"And you married her afterward ~ asked
Eyes finally but not at once. My health
improved right away, and In year the bells
rang out our wedding chimes. Va resigned
her position and We came to Milwsuk ee
where We have pleasant little home on
Fourteenth street We are the happiest
couple you ever saw. Say, can't you come
up and take dinner with US some day? II
you understand telegrsphy you will be highly
entertained. for my wife and carry on most
OF our conversation with telegrsphic signs
and our little baby boy Is getting Old enough
10 understand our language. / will promise
house.
"Oh, understand telegrsphy perfectIy,n
answered the reporter.
lis that so? Where did vou laorn,